Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 447: To ask the Minister for Transport the progress which has been made in implementing Transport 21 in South Tipperary since the plan's official launch. [27599/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Transport 21 was launched in November 2005 and a number of projects related to South Tipperary are now under way. The National Roads Authority (NRA) has allocated a total of €43.2 million to South Tipperary County Council to progress the national roads programme in 2006. The upgrade of the N8 Cashel to Mitchelstown scheme (which forms part of the South West Corridor that links Limerick and Cork to Dublin) to motorway standard began in March this year. The funding will also allow a number of schemes to progress through various stages of planning. These include: N24 Carrick-on-Suir By-Pass; N24 Clonmel to Cahir By-Pass (Rathkeevin); N8 Cashel to Mitchelstown; N24 Bansha/Tipperary /Oola By-Pass; N24 Cahir to Bansha; The N8 Cullahill to Cashel scheme is due to begin construction later this year with an expected completion date of 2009.

Iarnród Éireann has begun to renew track on the Limerick Junction-Waterford line which serves Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel, Cahir and Tipperary stations. This track renewal work and related improvements to signalling, level crossings and fencing will improve the operational safety of this line and will reduce the journey times.